When you consider a mortgage on a home costing $329,900, whether the interest rate is a quarter percent either way is a big deal. But in Northern Maine when the mortgage you are shopping for is $32,900, whether the rate is a quarter percent higher or lower is not as critical as a banker thinks. For Houlton Maine financial options, there are six primary banks and a credit union on the local level. And at local Rotary meetings or about town, when you run in to a banker, they seem excited if the rate is an eighth of a percent lower than another bank. I explain that that slight difference alone does not cause a home mortgage borrower exodus from other bank lobbies to the fellow or lady with the "my rates lower than your banks" chant.      The closing costs charged, the turn around time... 12/29/2009

Hockey players of all ages, all part of the Houlton Maine hockey program showed up. The December 26th alumni hockey games in the Shiretown were fun to watch.    Many of these players have skated together from the time they were five years old.     Most of the games in New Brunswick Canada when they were on the Southern Aroostook Minor Hockey Association teams. And then as a Houlton Hodgdon Blackhawks. Old time hockey reunion and entertaining action for the crowd of Houlton Maine fans, friends and family. Small town proud of the boys that made the program what it is, caused it to grow and were part of the spark of Northern Maine hockey. Here are a few images to capture the event. Just like old Maine high school hockey times with reliving past games not forgotten as Novices, Atoms, Peewee... 12/28/2009

     My Aunt Ruth had no children yet had hundreds. She was a music teacher that could get a melody, a tune out of kids that could not carry one even it had handles.       Aunt Ruth ran a 35 horse riding camp called Camp Little Ponderosa started back when Bonanza was ripping up the TV ratings on television and when you saw the Marlboro Man high in the saddle with both his lungs. Lots of New York, New Jersey doctors and lawyers sent their kids..usually daughters north to Houlton Maine for the summer at Camp Little Ponderosa horse riding summer camp.      I remember my Aunt Ruth having a special candy around Christmas that she gave to all of the neices, nephews. She called it barley candy but I don't think barley or grain had much to do with the production. She would have peanut brittle, ... 12/18/2009

    Local Maine cemeteries.As a kid in Houlton Maine, my three older brothers and I grew up knowing we were part of a larger family. We learned about our uncles, great aunts, great great great grandparents from our journies growing up with visits to the local cemeteries in Houlton and Hodgdon Maine in my case.My mom was a Benn from Hodgdon Maine. We sometimes got a double header by driving to check out the Mooers side of the family, and then after a stop at the local ice cream dairy bar, we would be slurping, enjoying some cold on a hot day as we headed to cemetery number two.The trips were not an everyday occurrence but more than once a year on Memorial Day. My dad was a world war two veteran, so seeing the section of Evergreen Cemetery with the US flags and veteran markers hit home.My... 12/17/2009

     Over the years real estate brokers get in and out of some pretty special property. High end homes, land with one of a kind waterfront features or a view / setting that will make your jaw drop, your eyes to nearly pop out of your head. The memorable listings, real estate sales can include the expensive properties but also ones that made an impression that did not have so many zero places in the price tag. One older lady I was lucky enough to list and sell a 1974 mobile home for had that kind of home. It was spotless, had lots of plants, walls of images of grandchild, brothers, sisters, parents and the obvious holidays many were taken at. It was plainly apprarent this owner was "rich" in family that surrounded her. The many kids' artwork, sports schedules arranged on the refrigerator... 11/30/2009

Real time..what is happening in small communities like Houlton Maine in Southern Aroostook County. The 54th Rotary Auction in Houlton Maine has over $52,000 worth of item to bid on over a three night period. The auctioneering starts at 6pm and winds down at 10:30pm each night. Here is the run down for this years auction on the Houlton Maine Rotary site.      Each year the Houlton ME Rotary Club designates certain projects to be the major beneficiaries of the Auction. This year's major project beneficiaries are: Little League Field of Dreams Project! SAMHA Southern Aroostook Minor Hockey Association Auction Proceeds will also benefit the: Houlton Community Arts Center Seat Campaign Houlton Rotary Club Youth Exchange Program Dollars for Scholars (SAD 29, SAD 70, SACHS, East Grand) Cary Li... 11/24/2009

    On the way home from a trip downstate in Maine, as a kid I remember in the winter when we were driving a little slower during falling snow stories about my dad's service in World War Two.     It was not that Dad did not talk about the war...it just seemed the stories were told more while driving back from some where to pass the time or on porches on summer evenings, depending on the audience.     My Dad served in the 15th Army - Air Force as it was called at the time. In the 882nd bombardment wing and his job? He wanted to be a pilot of a bomber but they had plenty of those so due to being pretty wiry and skinny, he was able to squeeze into the rear of a B-24 bomber to run the two rear 50mm machine guns.Think of sitting, jammed in the rear of a four engine noisy plane, that smelled ... 11/10/2009

     It's no secret that for a smaller Northern Maine school, Houlton Maine's jr and sr high schools excel statewide in music. Over 64% of the Houlton Maine junior high school students are active in 12 music ensembles. Over 42% of the high school student enrollment make the music program state reknown.  Houlton Maine is the home of five state championship high school show choirs and has hosted several state music competitions. The Houlton Maine junior high show choir is a two time state champion and award winning bands, choruses, jazz bands, jazz choirs perform year round in local presentations, state level programs and in out of state music festivals.      Currently, a new Houlton Community Arts Center is being built and the Houlton Maine jr / sr high school auditorium is being totally... 11/09/2009

     As a kid, Maine Halloween trick or treating, what a concept I thought with glee. Going up to total strangers houses with your cousins, ringing the bell after hopping up the front porch stairs and the light comes on. An older lady or gentlemen look a fake surprise or fright and everyone screams "Trick or Treat"! Other goblins up and down the street are moving like the plague from house to house as most front porch lights are on. As an adult, can still remember the houses where the best treats were. And before the Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Twitter social networking, word spread on which home owners took this Halloween concept seriously and went all out. Kids spread the word on homes, neighbors to put on the must visit list before curfew and the ones not worth door knocking, that... 10/31/2009

     Activerain's Bob Stewart threw down the challenge gauntlet searcing for examples of how we use the treasure chest of blog posts to do further good in our day to day real estate operation. There are many ways we take the trip back in to the blog post inventory and assemble a series of them to ricochet email correspondence back to the sender. We have a connection with a past client and these "what is going on in the area newsy blog posts" bee-lined to their inbox help us stay connected. For past happy buyers who decide to sell, or have friends to refer. For sellers to keep us in their mind. We start a relationship that eventually with these emails with blog attachments push them off the fence, eventually.      But probably the two top ways we use the AR library is targeted at relocat... 10/30/2009

In Maine, we are very fortunate to have super medical facilities in place, staffed by folks who want a friendly, crime free, pollution free area to raise a famly in. So unless you need a brain transplant, or plan to upgrade all your major organs with loaners, Maine health care in the Houlton Maine area is superb. The same goes with local Houlton ME banking, financing institutions. So we don't have to scramble out of town to catch an attractive loan program, or a local professional that understands the ins and outs, the mechanics. I just got back from a Maine Association of REALTOR state convention at the Samoset in Rockland ME. The many southern Maine loan orginators and mortgage brokers who have hospitality suites after classes wonder how to get more of Northern Maine's bank buying cus... 10/12/2009

     In buying real estate, folks look at the purse, decide if the price tag matches the size of that purse or wallet. But just as important as the cost, the looks, the features involves a move to a brand new unknown area. The hospital if mom is coming and has a heart condition is a big concern. The local public library I have had real estate buyers say is their judge, barometer for how stellar an area is. The schools for a quality education are another area the relocating real estate buyer is very keen to know more about. All schools, hospitals, libraries are not the same quality, possessing the same level of excellence or reputation as the ones they are leaving behind. So part of our blog posts about the Houlton Maine area delve into the big three.      Videos that show the excellent ... 10/10/2009

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     You work for say homeland security, for border patrol, customs, immigration or some new department in between and are assigned to head to Houlton Maine. Houlton is on the Canadian border of the New Brunswick province and has been beefed up secuirty wise considerably since 9/11. So you own a home back where you are coming from, have it rented and want to rent until it sells in Houlton.      Easy as pie right? Not really. Not so fast, need to have a little talk, show you the financial reasons why it's like musical chairs..with not enough empty chairs when the tunes stop, everyone scrambles. A typical home if you can find one rents for $450 to $600 on average with you the renter picking up all the utilities, lawn care, snow plowing. By the time you heat the place, you start thinking w... 09/17/2009

Fall rally stock, superstock and master car racers head to Houlton Maine to gravity race this weekend.  The engineered derby hill is being spiffed up after the Northern Maine race this June.  Learn about derby racing at the NMSBD race.  Boys and girls from around the nation will show up for our spring and fall rallies to learn driving skills, to race for points to head to Akron Ohio's world series of racing. Northern Maine's race was the world's largest derby event in the country five years in a row.. 1997-2001. Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Learn About Maine, See Videos, Read Posts. 09/15/2009

Outside your real estate operation, do you have flowers or is everything paved, brick, institutionized office look? Maine flowers are short lived but new ones come in before, after each season if you stagger it right. Here is a peek our my front door in Houlton Maine. I am lucky to live half the year 32 feet from work..and to zip to a lake home the other half nine miles away. Here's are today's actors.                                                                                                         Got to find out what is nibbling the heck out of the hollyhoc plants though..hmmmm. Show us flowers from your end of the world, your place on the planet. ME REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine, Four Season Beauty, 4th Lowest Crime State, Low Cost Real Estate. 08/17/2009

Say it with video...let's watch the Maine events rather than talk about them! For starters, on a summer night, when it's Thursday, you head for the park to hear McGill's Band.   You have kids who don't want to wait until they are sixteen to drive a car. This is where they learn the "thrill of the hill" and how to soap box derby race on our own engineer hill. The Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race was the nation's largest five years in a row with close to 200 racers competing.  You would enjoy the Meduxnekeag River Canoe Race too.... You like parades, fair food and rides..and want to see the exhibits, fireworks and just what the Houlton Agriculture Fair is all about.   Lakes..lots of lakes in the Houlton Maine area..and this is what Drews Lake looks like....   It's winter and we don't hi... 07/22/2009

All of a sudden, a picturesque small Northern Maine town that is mild mannered, wholesome and law abiding becomes chaos. Helter skelter. Batton down the hatches, hoist the sail, we're going ashore. Oh oh. Pirates invade downtown Houlton  ME for Midnight Madness, a retailer's delight. The 4th of July is a big deal in small Maine local communities. Everyone, I mean everyone volunteers to help put the event on from the state agricultural fair's exhibits, horse and small animal judging to the parades, fireworks, rides and food provided to local and out of towners who meander in for the nation's birthday. Here's is a video snapshot of Houlton Maine's Midnight Madness and a glimpse of other parts of the four day 4th of July celebration. ME Realtor Andrew Mooers - Maine, Friendly People, Fewer... 07/08/2009

Why Wait Until You Are 16 To Drive A Car. The Video For The Houlton Maine, Derby Hill Northern ME Soap Box Derby Race And We Saved You A Seat Track Side, Under A Tarp With Some Good Food, Friendly Race Fans And Local Community Aroostook/Penobscot/Washington County Family Sporting Fun! This Is One More Local Events That Draws Racers, Their Parents, Supporters From Two Hours Away To Experience "The Thrill Of The Hill!"   Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers - Maine Families Make Their Own Home Made Local Community Fun.Visit The Northern Maine Soap Box Derby Website! 06/22/2009

Fewer people in rural Maine means more involvement of those people to make their own fun. Home grown not store bought and way way more involvement in local Maine community events.  There are so many events that you have to pace yourself and be careful not to get over involved, over extended. But when you are planning to be at the local happening, might as well be part of putting it on is the motto of many hard working local Maine citizens that live and work in these smaller, off the beaten path towns. For example, this weekend, June 20th is the 14th Annual Northern Maine Soap Box Derby race. Houlton ME has its own Derby Hill specially engineered like the one in Akron Ohio at the All American Soap Box Derby event every kid dreams of being in. The Houlton ME event has led to success in Ak... 06/16/2009